Biker Mice: Black label
by puppy dangerous
Summary: The Biker Mice and company return in a series of space adventures.
1. Chapter 1

A persistent, high pitched buzzing. White light fading into reality. Throttle on the floor, rolling slowly to his back. Alarms are going off.

Someone moves, drops down beside him, a hand on his arm "Come one."

Sofia, pulling him to his feet. Stumbling back onto the bridge, drifting with thin acrid smoke. They are slumped over the controls, Diesel in the pilots booth, unmoving. Throttle checks Carbines pulse.

"What happened?" He asks.

...

Four Months Ago:

The city sits, silent. Clouds roll slowly overhead.

A dark garage, The Last Chance, cold and still. Behind it, something moves. Something covered with a tarp. Slowly, dark tendrils start to extend.

They bury themselves in the foundation, wrap around the building, begin to consume it. The interior becomes a forest of tubes. The ship extends, grows, morphing.

Slowly, with an alien grace, it lifts itself from the ground, leaving nothing but an empty lot where the Last Chance Garage had once stood.

….

Throttle watches his crew board the ship, ticking them off mentally. Charlie,mechanic; Kode, engeneer; Diesel, pilot; Vinnie, navigator; Lilly, medic; Carbine, gunner; and Modo, the muscle. He glances over at May, his superior, and she nods.

"Ok, you're on your own. Call me if you need me." She steps forward and gives him a hug, then leans up to kiss him on a furry cheek.

"So, do we change the name of the ship?" Vinnie asks.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Starkiller." Vinnie says.

Throttle shakes his head.

"Ser-" Charlie starts.

"How about Elsie? You know, L. C. For Last Chance?" Carbine says.

"Bessie, Elsie, what are they, cows?" Vinnie complains.

"I think Elsie is just fine." Throttle says, reaching out to pat the ship. "She feels like an Elsie."

Diesel settles into the pilots booth and reaches for the ship, connects, and they lift off into the clear sky.

….

The Plutararkian gunships swing around, firing. The smaller ship swoops in a graceful arc, coming in over them shooting. There are small explosions as gas ignites, then the ships go dark.

"More on our tail." Carbine shouts from the gunners booth.

Diesel guides the ship around, swinging them in line so she can get a shot.

"Pull back." Throttle instructs.

Diesel shoves the ship up, pushing them fast, gaining some ground.

"Engage cannons."

"Cannons engaged."

"Fire when ready."

The ships burst into light, then quickly fade.

"There's the base." Lilly says from the navigators seat.

The station looms into view.

"I've got a signal lock." Kode says from the back.

"Transport now." Throttle says.

"Transporting."

The ship extends a tendril, finds something familiar, closes around and brings them back up.

Vinnie and Modo blink into existence on the bridge.

"Whoa, bro, cut it kinda short there." Vinnie says.

"Sorry." Throttle says. "Prepare to jump. Lets get out of here."

"Preparing to jump." Kode calls.

There is the feeling of moving, sliding, then space solidifies around them again.

"Contact HQ. Give them the coordinates of that base." Throttle says.

There is a shudder. "What happened?"

"We stopped." Diesel says.

"Why?"

Kode appears from the back. "We've picked up a distress signal. It's coming from that asteroid."

"Bring us around. Let's have a look." The ship swings easily around the large rock, settling on the other side.

"There it is." The ship has a gravity anchor on the rock, it's lights dark.

"Life signs?"

"One. Life support minimal."

"Pull it in." Throttle says.

"Attaching tow. Releasing gravity anchor." Kode says.

Elsie shifts gently as she pulls the other ship in, tentacles wrapping around it, then settling.

"Open her up." Throttle says.

The hatch slides open with Kodes prompting, and they step inside. The air is stale but breathable.

Sofia is slumped over the controls. Throttle checks her pulse, then leans over and picks her up. "Come on, lets get her inside."

Carbine frowns. "What's she doing here?"

"Guess we'll find out." Throttle says.

….

Sofia sits up, blinks at unfamiliar lights. She raises a hand to her head, feeling the world spin.

"Hey." She jumps and turns to see Throttle.

"What are you doing here?" She asks.

"It's my ship. What happened?"

Sofia looks around, winces, then shakes her head gently. "I'm not sure, there was a light..."

…

"I don't like having her here." Carbine says sharply.

"I know, but her ship is all busted up. As soon as we can make repairs she'll be on her way."

"What happened to her, anyway, she finally pick a fight she can't handle?"

"I dunno." Throttle says. "Something hit her ship."

"What?"

"She said some sort of light." Throttle says.

"Well that could be anything." Carbine says.

"Yeah, but we should go check it out. Make sure the Plutarkians aren't up to something."

"Are you sure that's safe?"

Throttle chuckles. "Elsie can handle anything we throw at her."

Carbine flattens her mouth but doesn't respond. Throttle seems to have an awful lot of faith in what looks to her like a rusted bucket overgrown with sea life.

….

"We're here." Diesel says, checking the coordinates. "Looks empty."

"Yeah, looked that way to me, too." Sofia says.

"Are we getting any readings?" Throttle asks.

"There's some sort of disturbance, but I can't see exactly what." Kode says.

The ship extends long tendrils, feeling. Touches something and jerks back.

"Ok, there's something there, alright. Removing filter field." Kode says.

The screen in front of them shimmers, then something gleaming appears. Something that glitters gold in the vastness of space, spires exploding in both directions, a castle in space.

"Crowe." Throttle and Sofia say together.

"What's he up to here?" Throttle asks.

"Why are you looking at me?" Sofia protests.

"Well, you _are_ a pirate." Throttle says.

Sofia crosses her arms. "That doesn't mean I magically know what all the scumbags in the galaxy are up to."

"Hail him." Throttle says suddenly.

Vinnie leans over and flicks the channel switch, sending out an automatic hailing signal. It is returned, then Crowe appears.

"Oh, it's you." He says.

"What are you doing here?" Throttle asks without preamble.

"Me? Nothing. Why?" Crowe asks.

"You know anything about mysterious balls of light?" Throttle asks.

"It's space." Crowe says. "There are mysterious balls of light everywhere. Now, do you have something constructive to do, or are you just wasting my time?"

"Kill it." Throttle says, then turns "Well, I think he's up to something."

…

"Ok, that should do it." Charlie says, closing the panel and wiping her hands.

Sofia nods. "Thanks."

"Yeah. You better get out of here before Carbine looses it." Charlie says.

Sofia chuckles. "Lemmie go say goodbye."

Charlie watches her go back to the main part of the ship, troubled. How exactly is she planning on saying goodbye?

…

Throttle turns when she touches his arm. "Ok, I'm gone."

He looks at her, gives her a smile. "Be safe."

She looks like she wants to say something more, but she just turns and walks away.

"Well, good riddance." Carbine says from the seat she's been lounging in. "She's bad luck."

Throttle sighs. "Yeah, I know."

….

"We're getting reports of Plutarkian activity." Carbine says.

"Alright, let's leave Crowe for now. We know where to find him." Throttle motions them into action.

They come back into the world over a blue-green planet that glows gently under twin moons. Elsie settles into orbit, hiding herself from prying eyes under a curtain of unreality.

….

"This looks like the place." Throttle comments as they step out onto a broken street.

"Look-" Charlie points to a sign. "Another Fine Project Brought to you by Rushan Ltd."

"Lets find the tower." Throttle says.

…

"Sir, ah, we have reports of..._mice_." Sulguni says, lowering her voice.

"Mice?" Albert Rushan frowns under his mask. "So call an exterminator."

"No, ah..._martian_ mice." She whispers.

"Martian..._Martian mice_!" Rushan growls.

"What are we going to do, sir?" She asks.

"Well, send out a welcome party." Rushan leans back, lacing his fingers over his expansive belly. "We'll take care of those mice."

"Shall I send out the Hares?" She asks.

"Yes, I believe so."

….

"There it is." The dark tower looms over the surrounding city.

As they walk toward the front doors, they are blocked by three large creatures, Charlie realizes they are hares wearing body armor, their long faces sharp.

"Back off, mice." One says.

"I can't do that." Throttle says. "These guys are going to kill this planet."

"Don't care." The hare flips it's mask down over it's face. The other two follow.

"Don't do this." Throttle says.

The hares pull back, then attack.

….

Mercury Crowe frowns and strokes the birds on his mantle, thinking. Those mice are here poking around. His mind flickers to the statue deep in the center of his ship, the Martian artifact.

He flicks on the communicator. "Where are those mice now?"

"Galzon, sir."

"Hmmm. Why don't we have alittle fun. Bring them here."

"Yes, sir."

…

As the hares move in around them, there is a strange flickering, a sick feeling of motion, then the lights go dim.

Blinking, they look around. Carbine frowns. "Are we in one of the engines?"

Throttle narrows his eyes. "Stringworld." He says.

"Hm?"

"We're not in one of the engines, we're in one of the actual...places, I don't know what to call them. But I bet it's the one Crowe's castle is built around."

"So, he brought us here? Why?"

"Playing with us, probably." Throttle says.

"So, how do we get out?"

Throttle shakes his head. "Well, we can try confronting Crowe."

"Does that mean going through...this?" Carbine asks.

Throttle nods.

"Can we even do that?" Carbine looks around. "Don't these things go on for miles?"

"We need a guide." Throttle says.

"Where do we find that?"

…

"What happened to them?" Lilly asks.

"We lost them." Kode says.

"It's Crowe. It has to be." Diesel says.

"So, what are we going to do?" Lilly looks at her.

"Oh, so I'm in charge now?"

"By genetics, yes." Kode says.

"Ok, well...Kode, can you get me a portal in there?"

"Sure."

"Alright. I'm gonna take Al and see if I can find them." Diesel says, heading toward the back.

Kode and Lilly look at eachother, then Lilly sits down in the command chair.

….

Al slides through the doorway easily, stepping down onto the blue-black tubes. His body morphs, siding into the form of a large slinking animal, his head low. Diesel reaches out and rests a hand on his head, which slides open. She steps in, lets it close around her.

The bio-mech begins to prowl through the tunnels, blind face glittering in an eerie blue-green light.

...

"What are you doing?" Lilly asks Kode.

"Contacting May." He says. "Calling for backup."

Lilly nods.

May appears on the screen. "Yo."

"Crowe just ganked our crew." Kode says.

"Oh, no he didn't." May says. She turns "Take us over there. I'm gonna have a little chat with him."

….

The Daye parts space and time, sliding into place beside the ship, dwarfing even it's mammoth form with her massive bioengines and long questing tendrils.

"May, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Crowe hails her.

"You took one of my teams." May says, lighting a slender cigarette that contains very little tobacco. "I want them back. Now."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Crowe says.

"Then you won't mind me sending a team over there." May says.

Crowe shrugs. "Suit yourself. But you know my marasats tend to be a bit...pitchy."

"So I've noticed." May kills the communication with a motion of her hand. "Jak, Carbon, Spyder, get up here."

Three creatures step onto the deck. They somewhat resemble a cross between a kangaroo and a lemur, with long tails that split into three tips halfway down. One is larger than the other two, dark gray, his arms terminating in large claws. The other two have slender hands, are built lighter. One is brown, with an intricate pattern of stripes and dots. The other is gray with darker stripes, his ears ending in feathery tips, wings protruding from his back.

Carbon flaps his wings, then folds them at his back. "You called?"

May sits down in the wingbacked recliner that has replaced the captains chair and gives them a brief rundown of the situation.

"So, I want you to go in there and find them."

"Yes ma'am." Jak says, flexing his claws.

"Alright. Take them in."

….

The creatures burst out of the surrounding tubing, leaping toward Al. He swings around, lowering his head, backing away to gain room before his body morphs as he attacks.

More of them are coming, jumping onto him, fastening their jaws around his body, pulling him down.

A long-eared form steps from the shadows, it's three-tipped tail wrapped behind it. The creature is pale, almost white, with reddish stripes and a mane pulled up into two puffy pigtails.

She steps up, reaches out to touch the bio-mech which shifts, moves away, then turns it's head to look.

"Are you lost?" She asks.

Diesel slides Als face back and leans out. "Maybe."

"Oh, you're one of the mice." She says.

"Do you know where the other ones are?"

"Heading toward the city last I heard."

"What's your name?" Diesel asks.

"Mokey."

"Well, Mokey, I'm Diesel. Think you can help me out?"

Mokey nods. "Follow me."

….

The glowing city, spread up and out before them, it's central glittering column washing everything in an ambient blue-green light.

….

Carbon, Jak and Spyder step out into the city. Carbon inserts his tail into an access slot, his eyes cloud slightly as he skims data.

"Got them." He says. His mouth twitches. "Lets see, opening a portal now..."

Throttle, Vinnie and Modo are very surprised when they step through into what looked like another passage from their side, but deposits them standing in front of a group of marasats at the edge of the city.

"Carbon!" Throttle says.

"The one and only." Carbon says.

"What are you doing here?"

"Kode called for backup. Which is what you should have done, by the way." Kode sounds so much like May that Throttle laughs.

"Your kid is here, too."

"Diesel?"

"Yep. She's with Mokey."

Throttle frowns slightly, remembering their last run-in, when Mokey had silently lead them through a labyrinth to freedom.

"She should have stayed on the ship." Throttle says.

"Well, can you really blame her? You're out of luck if you tangle with some huge critter, and you know what's down here. That's why she brought Al. I assume, anyway, if I know Diesel that was her thinking. She's impulsive, you know." He's started to walk as he speaks.

….

"Where are we going?" Diesel asks.

"I need to show you something." Mokey says. She's picked up a glowing fungal sac and is using it as a lantern, carrying it well above herself with her long tail.

A light begins to seep in from the far end of the tunnel, and she puts the fungus aside and they proceed with eerie shadows building behind them, until they come to a clearing.

"Look." Mokey lifts a hand.

"What is that...wait, is that the statue Black and White stole from Limburger?" Diesel asks.

"The very one."

"What's Crowe doing with it?"

Mokey shrugs.

"Well, we gotta get it back. That belongs on Mars." Diesel says firmly.

"Mm." Mokey says.

…

The communications aren't working, which isn't surprising given the energy field of the ship. Throttle reaches out, tries her again, then gives up.

Carbon has jacked into the ship again, his eyes clouded, wings folded gently at his back. Jak examines his claws idly while Spyder prowls around, his yellow eyes bright, examining their surroundings.

Carbon frowns, tilts his head to the side. "This is interesting."

"What's that?"

"There's a statue...a Martian statue. An item of great power. Crowe is using it to power...something. I can't tell what. It connects to the ship."

"The Martian Shrieker." Throttle says. "I bet that explains the mysterious ball of light."

"But why would Crowe bring us here if he has something he knows we want?" Carbine asks.

Throttle shakes his head. "I have no idea. But I think we need to find out."

….

"What are you up to?" May asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

The throne room is huge, reflective, Crowe sitting on his golden chair at the far end, looking bored and a bit cross.

"I told you, nothing."

"They why did you take my crew?"

Crowe frowns, steeples his fingers, then sighs deeply. "Alright, alright. It's that blasted statue."

"The one we used to direct the reconstruction of Mars?" She asks.

"Yes. It's...well it's rather taken over, you see." He admits.

"Taken over? Taken over what?"

"The ship. And nobody can handle the blasted thing."

"So you brought them here so they'd take it away." May says. "You know, there is such a thing as asking."

"Hhmpf." Crowe responds.

May sighs deeply and runs a hand over her face. "Ok, fine. But you tell your guys to help them out."

….

Diesel bring Al right up to the statue, then climbs out and stand on his head, looking at it. The thing is vibrating with energy.

"It's fixed in place." She says. "Do you have something I can cut these with?"

"You have me." A voice comes from behind them. They both jerk around to see Jak standing there, one arm lifted, sharp claws glittering. The other mice, Charlie, and the two remaining marasats stand on the ground, looking up at her.

He scales the tower easily, slices the moorings away and Diesel lifts the statue, which is slightly warm to the touch.

There is a shuddering, a flickering, then a deep rumble from somewhere far inside the ship. It grows, threatening.

"What's happening?" Charlie shouts.

"It's coming down!" Mokey screams.

…

"What was that?" Crowe asks, frowning, as the ship shudders.

Then there is a loud cracking sound, and they look up to see the ceiling breaking.

"My ship!" Crowe wails.

"Get us out of here!" May shouts.

…

"What's happe-Look at at that!" Lilly shouts, her finger jabbing at the screen as the ship begins to crumble, great chunks floating off into space. "Get them out of there!"

Kode nods. With the reality field coming apart, he can slide a thin tendril and and snag the mice and Charlie. The ship hesitates, then grabs someone else before bringing them all back.

…

Crowe has his hands raised protectively over his head, when he sees they are not in his ship anymore he lowers them.

"Well, that was unexpected." May says. "And you, Mercury Crowe, are under arrest."

"Me? What for?"

"Illegal possession of a Martian artifact."

Crowe sighs.

"Do I need to lock you up?" May asks.

"No."

"That's 'no ma'am'."

"No ma'am." Crowe echoes.

One of the birds on his mantle caws softly and nips a moth out of the air.

….

"Well, that was interesting." Charlie says.

Diesel turns the statue in her hands, a sleek birdlike form. "So, what do we do with this?"

"Take it back to Mars, I suppose. Then get back to work. We still have to shut down Rushan."

The ship sets a course through time and space, slides behind a molecule, and is gone.

…

"My ship, my beautiful ship." Crowe moans.

"You can grow another one." May says flatly.

"Yes, but that one was wonderful..." Crowe goes on.

May rolls her eyes. "I swear, I'm gonna lock you up if you don't shut your mouth."

Crowe sighs deeply. "So, what's my penance?"

May frowns. "I don't have a use for you...yet."

"Great." Crowe groans.

"Do I _need_ to lock you up?" May threatens.

"No, ah, ma'am." Crowe sighs deeply.

…

"What happened _now_?" Throttle asks as they jerk to a stop, the stars spinning crazily.

"It's the statue. It's...um...glowing." Lilly says.

Throttle goes back to have a look. The statue is indeed washed in an eerie red light.

"Ok, so why did we stop?"

"Elsie did it herself." Diesel calls over the intercom.

Carbine appears, looks at the statue, then reaches out and touches it carefully. It's warm.

"Say, don't they mate for life?" She says suddenly.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Didn't you take history class?" Carbine asks. "The Martian Shrieker is part of a pair."

Throttle heaves a sigh. "So I suppose now we have to go get the other one."

"Looks like it."

"Well, where is it?" Throttle asks, resigned.

"According to legend, it was stolen thousands of years ago." Carbine says.

"Well, if it's calling to it's mate, it must be somewhere near here." Throttle says. "Kode, can you trace it somehow?"

"I'm looking." Kode calls up.

"I think we just found it." Diesel says, motioning toward the screen.

A Plutarkian ship hovers at the edge of their sensory range.

Throttle switches on the communicator and hails the ship. There is a pause, then a Plutarkian appears on screen.

"What do you want." He growls.

"Interstellar trade." Throttle says. "We have reason to believe you have an artifact on board. A Martian statue."

"Maybe I do." He rumbles. "What's it worth?"

….

Mokey shakes herself, blinks, looks around. She's in another ship. It's alien, but friendly. She starts walking toward the hub, letting her natural sense guide her.

….

"Why don't we just gank it?" Diesel asks.

"What?"

"Reach out and-" she makes a grabbing motion. "Then we blow those scumbags out of the black."

"That's not how I operate." Throttle says.

"Well, that's stupid. Come on, we don't have time for this crap." Diesel says.

Throttle looks around, sees that Carbine is nodding.

"Oh, so you agree with her?"

"Look, I don't see why we don't just do it fast and hard and get the hell out of here." Carbine says.

Throttle lowers his glasses, looking at her over them. Then he shrugs.

"Kode, can you lock onto that...thing?" He asks.

"Sure."

Throttle opens the communication line again. "Ok, here are our terms. You give us the statue, or we take it and then destroy your ship."

"You're bluffing. Martians don't do things that way." The Plutarkian says.

"Yeah, well we're not with Mars anymore." Throttle says darkly. "I'll give May your regards."

"M-May?" He hesitates, then says "Alright, alright, take the statue. It's nothing but trouble, anyway."

"See?" Diesel says when the com line has been closed. "Wasn't that easy?"

"We've got the statue." Kode says.

"Alright." Throttle says. He starts to turn away, then says "Carbine, can you disable their engines from here?"

Carbine grins. "Sure thing."

"Lets leave them stranded, shall we?" Throttle says.

Carbine takes a couple well placed shots, piercing the lining of the engines. The ship shudders, the lights flicker then come back up.

"It should take them a couple days to get that repaired." Carbine says.

"Good. Now lets get to Mars." Throttle says. He changes the frequency on the communicator and gives May the coordinates of the ship.

"Awesome." She says brightly. "Thank you for not being a dumass and charging in there."

"Ah..." Throttle runs a hand through his hair.

May rolls her eyes. "Look, this ain't Star Trek. You guys don't go makin stupid mistakes."

"Yes, ma'am."

"You goin to Mars?"

"Yeah."

"Alright." She leans away, motions for the com to be cut. "You take care now."

….

There is a shudder, then Elsie, who has evidently been stunned, shakes herself awake. The lights come up and fresh air pours onto the bridge.

Slowly, the crew begins to pick themselves up.

"Anybody know what just happened?" Throttle asks.

Lilly appears from the medical bay, pressing a hand against her head. She looks around. "Everybody OK?"

There are vague nods, aside from pounding heads they don't feel to bad. But confused, very confused.

"You think it's the statues?" Diesel says a few minutes later.

Throttle gets a bad feeling, the feeling that says she's probably right. "Nothing but trouble." He murmurs.

"Statues?" Sofia says.

"A pair of Martian Shriekers." Throttle says.

"Oh. Oh my." Sofia lifts a hand to her mouth. When she brings it down, she's smiling. "And they're together?"

"What." Throttle asks.

"Oh, nothing. You'll find out."

"Oh no you don't." Throttle grabs her arm.

Sofia dances away easily. "I think I'm leaving." Sofia says. "You've got your hands full already."

"She seems to have aweful good timing." Carbine comments as Sofia walks away.

"Yeah." Throttle says, narrowing his eyes, "She does."

"Um, guys?" Vinnie says from the control panel. "I, ah, I don't know where we are."

….

"We lost Elsie." Carbon says.

"Lost them?"

"They're gone, ma'am."

"Destroyed?"

"I don't think so. I think...maybe transported."

"To where?"

"No idea."

"Hmmm. Lets go to their last known location and check it out."

"Yes' ma'am."

….

"Hey, look down there." Modo motions.

The view screen adjusts when they look at it, showing a planet below. It has the sickly look of a planet that is still in the process of dying.

"What do we do?" Charlie asks.

Throttle frowns. "Raise May."

There is a pause, then Kode's voice "Ah...looks like she's out of range."

"Out of- How did she get out of range? How can she even _be_ out of range?"

"Beats me, Captain." Kode says.

"Um, I think you should come have a look at this." Lilly says.

They all walk into the back, through the narrow passages and into the storage bay, where the statues have been wrapped and put into a box together. It's glowing from inside, starting to shudder softly.

"That's not good." Vinnie remarks.

"I think...I think maybe they want us to take them to that planet." Sofia says.

Throttle looks over at her, looks back at the box, then shrugs. "If it's going to get us out of here, Ok, let's take them down there and see what happens." He tilts his head up, addressing the ship "What kind of life signs do we have down there?"

"Looks like an advanced civilization was here at one point, but I'm not seeing much aside from lots of ruins." Kode reports.

"Alright, lets go." Throttle grabs the crate.

Carbine, Vinnie, Modo and Charlie join him, standing in a loose group. Elsie wraps a tendril around them and takes them down to the planets surface. Kode sees a large pyramid and decides that looks like a good place to put them down, depositing them at it's base.

"Well, this looks like the place." Throttle comments, motioning to a carving of two birds facing eachother.

"So it's not Martian after all." Carbine murmurs.

"Do we go up?"

"I guess so."

…

"There was definitely some sort of disturbance here." Carbon says.

The Daye sits, exploring with her long tendrils, looking for the trail from the other ship.

"Do you know anything about this?" May asks Crowe.

"Me? Haven't the slightest idea. All I know is, that thing is trouble, and if there are two of it, then that's even worse. They've probably been blasted into oblivion."

"I doubt that." May says.

….

The wind is picking up, a storm is coming.

"Look!" Throttle points to an alter at the top of the pyramid, built under a small shelter. "That's it!"

They make their way through what is working itself into a gale, stumbling up to the alter. Throttle unpacks the crates and carefully places the first statue in place.

It's eyes light up, it starts to glow from inside.

Throttle puts the other statue down.

The wind abruptly dies.

There is a burst of light that throws them backward, washes over them, then spins out down over the planet. In it's wake a lush jungle grows.

_Kode_, Throttle calls to him, _Bring us back up. _

_Yessir._

….

May jumps as there is a flash, then Elsie crawls through a rip in spacetime and settles just off to the left.

"Hey." May hails them.

"Hey." Throttle says.

"What happened?"

"Um...the statues...they...it's complicated." Throttle says.

"Hm. I bet. You guys OK?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. I'm out." She motions with her hand, heaves a sigh and shakes her head. "I swear, they get into more trouble..."

….

"Alright, now lets' get after Rushan." Throttle says.

Diesel turns the nose of the ship gracefully, pulls them into a separate lane in reality, and they slink off into nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

A high wailing harmonica drifts through the black. Stars glitter softly in the distance. Slowly, Elsie drifts into view, tendrils waving gently.

Inside, Modo sits on the couch with his feet up on a table, the harmonica to his mouth. His foot twitches gently as he plays.

It's been several weeks since their last Plutarkian encounter, and they are wandering aimlessly through the populated portion of the galaxy.

"My baby's gone and left me,

don't know what to do,

I beg and I plead baby come back to me

but she says I'mma through with you,

You gonna do..

You gonna do that thing you do.

Oh you know I love you honey,

But you do that thing you do"

Diesel is singing idly as she lounges in the pilots booth, her fingers drumming on the controls. The ship sits quietly, echoing with her voice, the bio-engines drifting gently, tendrils extending to catch up minerals and gas and funnel them into the converters.

"My baby's gone and left me

Out there in the black.

I said baby please come home to me

to me she said Baby I ain't comin back

you gonna do

You gonna do that thing you do...

Oh you know I love you honey,

But you do that thing you do

Oh baby you know I love you

I promise I'll be true

She said honey I know, but you know that you gonna

gonna do that thing you do

Oh you know I love you honey,

But you do that thing you do."

The communicator blinks. "We've lost a ship in that sector. Mind checking it out?" May asks.

"No problem." Throttle sits up straight.

May sends over the coordinates and they start to move.

"Life support minimal." Kode says. "Core is..."A long pause "dead."

"What could have killed the core?" Throttle asks.

"I don't know. Should I transport you on?"

"Yeah." Throttle says. "Diesel, I want you, too. And bring Al."

"Sure thing." She slides out of the pilots booth and heads toward the back.

Throttle reports to May.

"Dead? That's not good. Get in there and figure out what happened."

"I intend to."

"Good. Let me know what you find." May kills the feed.

…

The Noble Traveler wallows in space, her engines dead, lights dimmed to a dull glitter. She was an airship once, brass and bronze, her arcing bow still protruding proudly.

Feet stumble through the masses of severed cables, some still leaking steam, that litter the floor. They find a body, a gloved hand reaches down, feels for a pulse, then shakes gently.

"Tanni. Tanni." A muffled voice.

The woman shifts, looks up at the masked face. "Mal?"

He pulls off the brass-tubed air mask he wears. "Are you Ok?"

"I think so. Where's the crew?"

"Dead, I think." He says.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, come on." The captain gets to her feet and brushes off her long coat. "Lets find out."

"Feel that?" He says suddenly. "The engines are..."

"I know." She says.

"Well, damn."

"Yeah. Lets go."

….

They step through the portal into a strange, dark world, the fungus that normally glows bright down to a sickly dimness that only serves to cast deep shadows.

They don't have far to walk until they see the city, in total ruins, and completely dark.

"Freeze." A female voice from behind.

They turn to see a woman and man, both tall and thin, both pointing brass-plated guns at them.

"Easy. We're here to help." Throttle says. "May sent us."

The woman hesitates, then lowers her weapon. The man does the same.

"I'm Tanni." She says, then motions "And this is Mal."

"Where's the rest of the crew?"

"Dead." Says Mal. "I checked. We're the only survivors."

"What about the Chrono-Satyrs?"

"Gone. Maybe abandoned ship." Tanni says.

"Do you know what happened?"

Tanni looks over at Mal. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"This morning." He says.

"I as well." She nods.

"Lets see if we can access the ships records."

"If the core is dead, we're out of luck." Tanni says.

"I think you should come to our ship until we figure this out." Throttle says.

Tanni nods.

As they follow the crew, Tanni and Mal exchange a look that very clearly says something, though what that thing is remains a mystery.

…

"Our communications are down." Kode says. "We can't reach May."

"You think it's what hit the other ship?"

"May be." Tanni says.

"We should go check the core." Vinnie says.

Diesel shakes her head. "No. Nobody is going back on there until we contact May. Um, right Dad?" She adds.

Throttle frowns. His instincts are telling him to run in there. But he can hear Mays voice warning him against it.

"Ok, if we can't raise her, let's go find her." Throttle says finally.

Behind their backs, Tanni and Mal exchange a look.

…

"Are they still out there?" May asks.

"Yeah, but it seems their communications are dead."

"Hm, that's not good."

"You wanna go over there?"

"No. Not yet. Have backup ready." May says.

"Yes, ma'am."

"And somebody get me Crowe."

…..

"Why aren't we moving?" Throttle asks.

"I don't know. She's...paralyzed somehow." Kode says.

"Do you think that thing was contagious?" Throttle asks.

"I dunno. I think we should go check our core." Kode says.

"Right. Diesel, Vinnie, Modo, come with me. Kode, I want you, too. You guys keep trying to raise May."

_And Carbine, _he adds, touching her gently to get her attention _watch Tanni and Mal. I don't trust them._

_Neither do I_, Carbine flicks back at him.

…

The lights are a bit dimmer than usual, but aside from that things seem to be alright. The ship isn't large enough yet to have a city, the core sits pulsing in the center of a round room.

Kode walks up and jacks into it, his eyes cloud slightly, he shakes his head, frowns, then pulls away. "We'll have to go down to the motion center. Back this way. Something's probably broken, the signal isn't getting through."

They walk back, through a small swampy area with a raised walkway, and then they can see the central, huge tubes that carry signal from the front of the ship to the back.

"There, look." He points up to a place where one of the tubes has been torn open, revealing broken blue-green strands inside. Kode scrambles easily up, wrapping his tail around a tube for an anchor he drops down and looks.

"Yep, I can fix this, but I have to get the material."

"Don't you need to go back to the Daye for that?" Modo asks.

"Nah, we're big enough now. We just have to find the right animals. Memetic angels, you know, those huge things with long legs-" He motions with his arms "It's their hair."

"So, where do they live?"

"Somewhere in the swamp." He says. "Lets go out there and I'll call one up."

….

The creature floats through the swamp on it's long, spindly legs, its neck held low, eyeless head moving softly. It stops beside them, waits as Kode takes a handfull of it's long tail hair and tugs. It comes out easily.

"Right, now back we go."

….

Throttle and the others watch as Kode weaves the hairs into place, then stimulates the tube to close with a shock from his tail.

"What did this?" Throttle asks.

"I dunno. We should get back up front, though."

….

"It's...locked." Kode says a few minutes later, touching the door.

Throttle tries it, even though he believes him. "How did that happen?"

"I dunno. This isn't good." Kode says.

"Is there another way through?"

"Maybe." Kode frowns. "We can try. Come on."

His path is long and winding, and when he opens the door at the end they step out into a ship that is definitely not Elsie.

May looks up. "What are you doing here?"

"I...dunno." Throttle admits, looking over at Kode.

"Default location." Kode says, looking worried.

"That means your ship is locked." May says. "What's going on over there?"

"We picked up a couple people off of that ship," Throttle says. "Then everything went to hell."

"People? Who?"

"They're named Tanni and Mal." Throttle says.

The look slides off of Mays face and is replaced by something very dark. "Those aren't crew."

"No?" Throttle feels ice touch his stomach.

"Tall, thin ones? Girl is about so high-" she motions with her hand "boy wears an airmask?"

"Yeah." Throttle gets the feeling he doesn't want to hear what's coming up next.

"That's Spontanious De'Feat and Malcontent." May says darkly. "They're bad news."

"So, what do we do?" Throttle asks.

"We go out there." May says, sliding a cigarette into her mouth and lighting the end, pulling in and releasing a lung full of something that is definitely not tobacco smoke. "And hopefully the rest of your crew is still alive."

The Daye reaches out a thin tendril, touches a point in space and pulls, sliding through nothing and settling in the place where Elsie was just moments before.

"They're gone." Throttle says.

"Crowe!" May shouts.

The man appears, gives the mice a strange arch of the eyebrow before speaking to May "You screamed?"

"Find their ship." She points.

"Now how am I supposed to do that?" Crowe asks.

"Don't bullshit me." May threatens him.

"Alright, alright, I'll find it." He sighs.

Flapping his mantle out around himself, the interior gives a strange impression of dark, empty space. He wraps it around and poofs into nothing.

Glittering somewhere above reality, the creature that is almost a bird tilts it's head, it's four eyes focusing on the streams of energy dancing in space. It moves, flying through the void, following the trail like a vulture on a scent, until at last the mark appears far away, shining softly.

Crowe slides into the ship, shakes off his true form and resumes that of the tall man, shushing the birds on his cloak.

He finds Carbine, Lilly and Charlie tied up in a storage room and quickly releases them.

"Where did they go?"

"I dunno." Carbine rubs her head. "Damn, they hit me really hard."

"You're lucky you're not dead. Come on, we have to get out of here."

"We're not leaving our ship to pirates." Carbine says firmly.

Crowe starts to say it's just a ship, then thinks better of it. "We'll come back for her later."

Before they can protest further, he slides his mantle around them and they are gone.

…

"It's not your fault." May says soothingly.

Throttle sighs deeply. "They could have been killed."

May nods. "But they weren't."

"So, what do we do now?" Throttle asks.

"Well, we start by getting your ship back." May says. "And hopefully we'll score Tanni and Mal in the process."

"How are they flying it?" Throttle asks.

May shrugs. "Not well, that's for sure. They can't jump without an engineer. It shouldn't take to long to find them."

….

The Daye sniffs like a bloodhound, long protruding muzzle following the spectral trail left by the other ship. They soon come upon her, moving at a good clip.

They overtake the other ship, long tentacles reaching out and entwining around it, bringing it into the belly of the Daye.

"Alright." May takes a last drag, snubs the cigarette out and puts it in her pocket. "Lets get ready to go."

…

The bridge of the ship is empty. May lifts a hand, motioning for the team to spread out and search the ship. She motions to Throttle "We're going down to the engines. That's where they probably are."

Her armor clothes creak softly against her as she moves, sliding through the engine room doorway easily and stepping into darkness lit by fluorescent fungus.

"So," May says when she and Throttle have broken away from the main group. "You're with that Carbine chick, right?"

"Mm." Throttle nods.

"To bad." She gives him a wink.

He chuckles, reaches out to pull her into a one armed hug.

"I love you, too." She hugs him back, chuckling.

"So, what are these two up to?" Throttle asks.

"Who knows." May throws her hands in the air. "You never can tell with them."

There is a feeling, or rather an absence of feeling. "We've stopped."

May triggers her communicator. _Do you read me? _

_Loud and clear_ comes the response from Ra'haal on the bridge.

_What's going on? _

…..

The Hangman's Promise turns it's bulk in the vacuum, bringing it's docking bay around to allow Elsie to slide in. The doors slide shut behind her.

There is a soft shudder as clamps close around the ship, securing it in place.

….

"Alright. They'll be coming back here. Everybody ready." May says.

Her away security force is scattered at the entrances to the back. She hears a murmur of responses.

From the ship, Rah'aals voice _Launching probes. Engines disabled...now. They're dead in the black, Captain. _

Five, the light autonomous mech, drops into a defensive position behind them as there is a sound at the door.

Things happen very fast. The door slides open, Tanni and Mal see them, draw their guns and start to shut the door. Five moves forward, grabs the door. Throttle and May force their way through, duck away from shots.

"Over here!" May shouts. She triggers her communicator and hears the team moving toward them, closing in.

Out in the main part of the ship there isn't much room to run. They corner Tanni and Mal on the bridge.

"You're comin with me." May says. "You've been a pain in my ass long enough."

Tanni lifts her gun.

"I got a whole team after me." May says. "Don't be stupid."

Tanni lowers the gun.

"Thank you." May says.

_Do you want me to take the ship, Captain? _

_No. Not now. _

They shove Tanni and Mal before them as they make their way back through the engines, joined by the rest of the team they step through the portal and back into the Daye. Tanni and Mal are escorted away.

"Somebody hail that ship." May says, stepping up onto the bridge.

The screen comes up, and May drops the cigarette she was about to light. "Adam!"

The pirate flashes her a broad grin. "Hello, love."

"You took my ship." May says flatly. "Bloody pirate."

"Did I?" He looks innocent. "So sorry."

"You wanna give it back?"

"What'll you give me for it?" Adam asks.

"Why don't we have a little chat. Face to face." May says.

Adam laughs. "Only if it's in my house."

May shrugs. "I can deal with that."

….

"Is she gonna be OK over there alone?" Charlie asks.

Throttle nods. "Yeah, she'll be fine."

"Are you sure."

Throttle laughs. "Trust me, hurting her is the last thing he's gonna do."

…

"Hey, babe." May leans up to kiss Adam on the lips.

He grabs her as she tries to pull away, leaning down and into her, drawing it out. He runs his hand down her arm, twining his fingers with hers, and keeps it when he moves away.

"I've got a dead crew." May says.

Adam pulls back. "What?"

"We picked Tanni and Mal up on it." She says.

"That..." He hesitates. "Are you sure?"

"No reason to believe my crew is lying to me." May says.

"They weren't supposed to kill them." Adam says.

"How sure are you they'll do what you tell them?"

"They've never gone on a killing spree before." Adam says flatly.

May nods. "They claim they don't remember anything since this morning."

Adam falls silent for a moment, then says "I'll trade them for the ship. Find out what's really going on."

May drums her fingers on her arm, then she nods. "As long as they're under you. But do me a favor and quarintine them, will you?"

"Of course."

She triggers her internal communicator. _Cut them loose._

…

"Quarantine?" Vinnie asks.

"Yep. Everyone and everything that touched that ship. Until we figure out what's going on." May says.

"So, are we going back in?"

"No. That's the Chrono-Satyrs job." May lights one of her cigarettes and blows smoke toward the scrubber in the ceiling. "We just hang out and wait."

The quarantine ward sits in it's own pocket of spacetime, appearing from the inside as a house that emits a warm, yellow smell of old dust. It reminds Charlie of Dreamtime, though there is no moonlit forest upstairs, just an ordinary hall with doors leading to bedrooms.

May props her feet up on a low stool with a camels head, Charlie is only slightly surprised to hear it grunt and see the face turn to glance at her. She coughs, pats her chest.

"Hm. Lungs are bad." She comments.

"You should probably stop smoking." Charlie says.

May looks over at her, arches an eyebrow. "Honey, that's the least of my problems. So we were out on a mission, right, this was back when it was just me and him-" she motions toward Throttle.

"Oh boy." Throttle says.

"You remember this one?"

"How could I forget?"

"Right. Anyway, we were out on a mission, and we had a little...accident."

….

"Looks like we're stuck." May comments.

"For now. I'll get to work." Kode disappears into the back.

"So, what now? Throttle asks.

"We have a look around." May says.

As they walk, they start to see something strange. Farmland left untended. Animals wandering loose. At last they come to a small village. Ravens and vultures circle overhead.

A man staggers from a building. "Go back. Go back! A curse upon us all!"

He falls against May, coughing. May helps him sit down. Then she stands up, looking around. Her face goes pale.

"Oh no. I know where we are."

"What is it?" Throttle asks, seeing panic in her eyes.

"The Plague." She says. She holds her hands out, looks down at the man. "And now I have it."

"Don't you have nanocites that will take care of that?" Throttle asks.

May swallows hard. "Maybe. I...I have to get back to the ship. I have to go in quarantine. Now."

"How long do you have?" Throttle asks.

She shakes her head. "Two, three days at the most. Without treatment."

Within several hours, May is running a fever. Throttle watches helplessly as her condition deteriorates.

It's been two days and May is still somehow hanging on. Throttle stands by the engine, watching Kode work. He can hear May coughing further up in the ship.

"How long?"

"A week, maybe."

"We don't have a week."

"I know." Kode says.

"Isn't there anything you can do?"

Kode hesitates, then slowly he nods. "Maybe one thing. Not for the ship. For her. Bring her down here."

May is very hot when Throttle lifts her up, he can hear her harsh breathing. He carries her down, deep into the reaches of the ship. Kode leads them down into a clearing with a watery nest in the middle.

Something moves deep in the blue-black tubes, something massive with a great underslung jaw. It creeps forward. It's underside is a mass of tentacles that now extend, reaching, curious. A roxabrax.

"Let it take her." Kode says.

The roxabrax wraps its tentacles carefully around May and draws her down under itself, a moment later she appears floating in it's clear tank of a belly, her clothes falling to the ground.

"Now we wait." Kode says. "Come on. We'll come back in the morning."

The creature wanders back into the forest of tubes, resuming whatever activity it had been occupied with. Throttle walks slowly back to the front of the ship.

Throttle sits down on the bridge. His mind turns May over and over, he keeps imagining her slipping away down there, alone.

It's the next morning when Throttle and Kode go down to find May still floating in the creatures stomach. Throttle puts his hand on the outside of the tank. She moves slightly, as if sensing him.

For a week, there is no change. The ship is almost fixed. Throttle and Kode stand, watching as the roxabrax stands, it's elephantine legs steady.

"We'll check back in the morning." Kode says.

Throttle nods. He's glad May seems to still be alive, but her condition is impossible to assess. He leaves, feeling a pang of regret as usual.

The light is soft and blue-green deep in the forest. The roxabrax pauses, then softly moves it's tentacles up, touching the soft membrane it pushes through to wrap them around it's cargo. Gentle, it lowers her to the ground.

May rolls over, coughing violently, vomiting clear liquid. She wipes her mouth and looks up. The massive creature tilts it's head, opens its mouth to extend small snakelike tentacle that reaches for her, lightly touches her outstretched hand. Then it pulls back and the roxabrax walks away, it's gigantic body swinging into the tubes.

Standing, she looks around. She doesn't recognize this part of the engine. She picks a direction and starts to walk. The ship seems to shift, reforming around her, and then she is standing at the door to the front area. She slides it open and steps out into the ship.

She finds Throttle asleep on the bridge. She rests a hand lightly on his shoulder and he wakes with a start, turns to look at her.

"May!"

"Hi." She wraps her arms around her body, suddenly aware of the cold on her bare skin.

"Here." Throttle strips his uniform shirt off and hands it to her. "Are you OK?"

"I think so." May slides into the warm cloth. "How long have I been out?"

"Over a week. The ship's almost fixed." Throttle says.

May nods. "Good."

….

"And that was the time I got the plague." May says.

"Wow." Charlie says.

"So, yeah, my lungs are kinda shot." May waves a hand, leaving a trail of smoke.

May tilts her head as her communicator activates. Carbons voice slides into her head.

_All clear. No sign of disease. _

_What killed the core? _

_Not sure. _

_What about the crew? _

_Some sort of mechanical failure when the core died. _

_What about the other ship? _

_Parasites. Got them taken care of. _

_Very good. _

May looks up. "Well, it looks like we're clear for now."

Throttle stands up.

May waves at him. "You guys have fun. I'll call you when we need you."


	3. Chapter 3

A motel room, the smell of stale cigarette smoke. Carbine sits up, looking down at the only color, her bright red clothes. Dress, trench coat, and the wide-brimmed hat. On the pillow by her head is an envelope containing a newspaper clipping. Limburger Tower glows in the picture.

She finds White standing outside, smoking a cigarette in the drifting fog. He looks at home here, his face cast into shadow by the streetlight that creates an eerie halo above his head.

"Why did you bring me back here?" Carbine asks.

"We need you're help. You're one of us, now."

"What do you need me to do?"

"You saw the clipping. Limburger is here."

"Again?"

"It's different this time." White casts an almost casual glance over his shoulder, crushes out his cigarette on the wet pavement. "You better be on the lookout."

"Wait, I don't know anything about this place!" Carbine protests.

"I suggest you find your friends." White says.

"Are they her, too?"

"In a manner of speaking." White says. He takes a step back into the alley, the darkness starting to consume him. "Good luck."

The soft rain is still falling when she stops where the Last Chance Garage should sit, now a bar Through the front window she can see the three mice hunched over, nursing drinks as Charlie wipes down glasses. She crosses the street, pushes the door open and steps into the light.

"Hey, sweetheart." Vinnie says, looking up.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." Throttle says, not looking away from his drink.

"Look, I need you guys to snap out of it. I need your help."

Throttle turns, pulls his glasses down to look at her. "Last time I saw you, you were dead."

"Yeah, well that was only temporary." Carbine says.

"What exactly do you need us to do?" Throttle asks.

"We need to take Limburger down." Carbine says.

Throttle laughs into his drink. "Look, doll, I don't know who's been telling you what, but Mr Limburger is good news for this town."

Carbine hisses, turns angrily to see Mr Black standing in the doorway, looking amused. "Not the same, is it?" He motions her out the door, and they stand under the awning as water drips down around them.

"How come I know what's going on and they don't?"

"They're not like you, like us." He says, lifting his chin toward them.

"They were before."

"It's different, now." Black says.

"Then how am I supposed to do this?"

"Well, I'd suggest manipulation." He says. "You are a femme fatale, after all."

"Me?" Carbine looks down at herself.

Black chuckles. "Red dress in a gray world, I'd say you have a pretty good chance."

...

Throttle pulls open the door to his apartment and pauses. Through a haze of alcohol, he can sense something. A shadow moves and he goes for his gun.

"Put that away." Carbine says, stepping from the darkness.

"You. You're one tricky dame." Throttle holsters his revolver and lights a cigarette.

Carbine steps close to him. "Whaddia say you help me out? For old time sake?"

"I don't help ghosts." Throttle says.

….

"What!" Limburger shouts. "I thought we were rid of those cursed rodents!"

"They seem to have (hiss) followed us here." Karbunkle says.

"Well, get rid of them!" Limburger bellows.

"Yes, your (wheeze) high repugnance." Karbunkle smiles. "Might I suggest we use our (wheeze) available resources?"

"Yes, yes, how poetic." Limburger temples his fingers before his vast belly.

...

A sleek black car pulls up in front of the bar. The back windows roll down. Long, slender muzzles slide out.

"Get down!" Vincent shouts a moment before shots erupt.

Machine gun fire tears through the bar, the front window shattering. A bottle sails through the broken glass, there is a squeal of tires. As flames begin to lick the woodwork they flee out onto the street. The bar goes up, bright orange and belching smoke. After a moment, a siren starts to wail in the distance.

….

"Where is she?" May asks.

"Noir." Carbon says.

"Oh really. Well, that's useful to know. What is she doing there?"

"Hm, it appears there's Plutarkian activity. Limburger."

"The hell there is. Contact the outpost. I'm not losin' this one."

….

The sleek black government sedan rolls up as Charlene and the mice watch the last of the flames flicker and die under the fire hoses. A tall man steps out, looks over at them.

"Joseph Amarillo." he says, offering out a hand. "FBI."

"Great. Feds." Throttle mutters.

"May sent us." Amarillo says.

Carbine feels her shoulders relax. "Limburger is here. He's a Plutarkian."

"I know. We're doing an investigation. Problem with them is, it's all legit on top. We gotta get somebody in there to see what they're really up to."

"Well, I don't think any of us will work." Carbine motions. "I know they're bad at recognizing humans, but he's seen Charlie enough at this point..."

"Yes, we thought of that. May has requested that you enlist the help of Lonnie." He hands her a paper.

Carbine looks down at it, then back up at him. "So, what's she going to do?"

"You'll see when you talk to her." Amarillo says.

Carbine watches as he steps back into the car and pulls away. The gray sky begins to spit rain again.

"So, what now?" Charlene asks, wrapping her arms around herself.

"You can come back to my place, sweetheart." Vincent offers.

Charlene nods, looks over at Throttle and Carbine. "You two, you're responsible for this, aren't you."

Throttle looks down at the ground, then glances over at Carbine. Charlie narrows her eyes at them. Vinnie takes off his jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders before he leads her off. Modo leaves with one final glance at them, his one eye dark.

Carbine watches them leave, then looks over at Throttle. He's standing with his hands in his pockets, looking at the smoldering wreckage of the bar with an expression that seems more tired than anything else. He looks over at Carbine.

"I guess I need to go talk to Lonnie." Carbine says into air that is filled with the heavy scent of wet ash.

"You feel like some company?" Throttle asks.

Carbine nods, feeling relieved. They start down the gray street, the tall buildings seeming to press against the heavy sky, forcing the miserable thin rain to dribble down and pool in the gutters.

….

Lonnie has dark hair and bright red lips that wrap around the cigarette. She listens to Carbine in silence for several minutes, then nods her head.

"He's looking for a secretary." she says. "We can make this happen."

"Are you part of...part of this place, or are you from somewhere else?" Carbine asks.

"Little of both." Lonnie says.

"Why don't my friends know what's going on?"

"They aren't really your friends. They were written into this world when need arose." Lonnie says.

"So, they're really part of this world? What about me?"

"You come and go." She says.

"How long have I been gone?"

"Hard to say."

"But when we came here before, was it really them then? Or was it something else?"

"Dimension traveling is tricky." Lonnie says with a shrug. "They were here, are here, always will have been here."

"But they weren't before?"

"Yes and no."

"They didn't exist, but they've been here the whole time?" Carbine asks.

Lonnie nods. "Now you're getting it."

Throttle watches this exchange, a cigarette smoking gently in his mouth.

...

The lamp in Throttles office casts sharp, angular shadows into the corners. His desk, clear and unused, a square of light passing through the window to lay on it like a lazy cat.

"What's really going on here?" Throttle asks, touching her arm.

"I'm not sure exactly." Carbine says. "But I think this is a dimension that is parallel to the one I'm from."

"So, you're from another world? Is that why you didn't die?"

"I don't think so. I think that has something to do with the hat."

"Hat?"

"I think...I don't know. I have no idea. I just know that we have to stop Limburger."

"Your world, what's it like?"

"Well, right now we live on a ship. A space ship."

Throttle looks at her. "You're a crazy dame, you know that?"

"It's true." Carbine says.

"And on this space ship, there are other versions of us?"

"Of you, Charlie, Vinnie and Modo."

"But not of you?"

"I think...I think maybe that one of me died." Carbine says uncertainly.

Throttle tilts her head up to look into her eyes. "You know, I must be insane, too." He says. "I believe you."

"Where's Diesel?" Carbine asks suddenly.

Throttle frowns. That was a strange change in subject. "She's where she always is. At Freds."

"She still works for Limburger?" Carbine asks, surprised.

Throttle tilts his head to the side. "I suppose Limburger owns the bar."

"Then we have another way in!" Carbine says. "We have to go talk to her?"

"Me and her, we aren't on such good terms anymore." Throttle says.

"Well, we have to try. " Carbine says.

...

The air is full of drifting smoke. Diesel stands on the stage, singing. When she sees them her ears flick back, but she doesn't miss a note.

"You sound great." Throttle says when she's finished.

"What are you doing here?" Diesel asks sharply.

Throttle turns, motioning to Carbine. "We need your help."

"I heard you were dead." Diesel says.

"Well, you heard wrong." Carbine says.

Diesel looks them over, then shrugs. "You have ten minutes."

When Carbine is done speaking, Diesel looks at her, then shakes her head. "You're both insane."

….

Lonnie walks through the door and smiles brightly at the secretary. "Hello, I'm here about the job."

A few minutes later she is shaking Mr Limburgers hand. She settles behind the desk and begins arranging things to her liking.

….

"Perhaps we should just (wheeze) abandon this property." Karbunkle suggests.

"I refuse to leave this world." Limburger snarls.

Karbunkle nods. "Well, then perhaps we should (hiss) up the ante."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, it has (wheeze) come to my attention that certain...parties are replicated here. Might I suggest we (wheeze) rekindle an old friendship?"

"Hm, I think I know who you have in mind. Are you sure we can trust her?"

Karbunkle laughs. "I wouldn't trust her as far as I could (wheeze) throw her, your repugnant cheesiness. But I think she will (wheeze) be happy to get the job done."

"Then by all means, dear doctor, call her in." Limburger chuckles.

...

Sofia taps on the door, slips inside. Throttle looks over at her, Carbine is in the other room.

"Hello." Sofia says, stepping forward.

"You again." Throttle greets her roughly.

"Now now, no need to take that attitude." She slides up to him, standing close.

Carbine jumps at her, shoving her aside as she pulls the trigger. The first shot goes wild. The second finds it's home in Carbine.

Throttle has his own gun drawn, but Sofia is gone before he can shoot at her. He drops to his knees beside Carbine.

"Damn." Carbine whispers. "That's twice here."

Throttle presses his face against her, holding her as her body goes still. Then something is happening, she is fading away into nothing before him. Throttle stands up, looking at the place she had been. He absently lights a cigarette.

...

Carbine jerks, shudders, sits up, feeling over her body. She is in the same smoke-scented room she had been in when she appeared. The clock reads midnight.

Carbine hurries down the dark streets, stops at the door, lifts her hand to knock.

There is movement inside, then Throttle opens the door. "You're back."

"I can't die." Carbine says.

Throttle steps back, letting her in to the apartment.

…

From across the street, Sofia watches. Her eyes glitter. "So it's true. She _is_ one of them."

...

"You want a drink?" Throttle asks.

Carbine shakes her head.

Throttle looks down at the amber liquid in the glass, tilts his head back and swallows it.

"So, you ain't stickin around, then." Throttle says.

"I think I'll be sent back home when this is over."

"I really loved you, you know." Throttle says.

Carbine winces at the past tense, steps forward "I'm still here."

He shakes his head. "You're different. In this world, but not of it. My girl died."

Carbine nods slowly. "I think so, yes."

She steps back, looking at this strange version of Throttle, wearing slacks and suspenders, his tie loose, shirtsleeves rolled up. He looks haggard, tired, deeply sad.

The radio is playing softly from a shelf as Carbine reaches out for him. He hesitates for a moment, then steps forward, instead of putting his arms around her he takes her hand and begins to lead her to the music.

"What's that look, doll?" Throttle asks.

"Just...you aren't like this. There."

"Really." A smile touches the corners of his mouth, then slides away.

As the music slows, Carbine drifts closer to him. He runs a hand down her arm, resting it on her shoulder as she presses herself against him. Through the windows, silver rain falls.

"So, you're a detective?" Carbine asks.

"Was."

"What are you now?"

"Nothin, doll. Nothin at all."

"Why'd you quit?"

"Limburger black-listed me. After that, nobody would hire me."

"How long has he been here?"

Throttle shrugs. "Long as I can remember."

Carbine frowns. "So, he has an analog here, too. Of course. He's a mob boss or something, right?"

Throttle nods into her hair. "A couple months ago, things started changing. He started buying up property."

"He's trying to take over." Carbine says.

"But the mob already runs this city." Throttle says, his hands drifting down her back.

"His people, in our world, they- well they used to buy out planets, take the resources back to theirs."

"Used to?"

"We managed to stop them, shut them all down. Now they're scattered, and we're hunting them down." Carbine leans closer against him.

"So why's he here, then?" Throttle asks.

"He's kind of obsessed with the mob. This is probably his dream home." Carbine says.

"So, what, he killed the other one of himself and took over?" Throttle asks.

"I think it probably works that way." Carbine says. "And if that's really him, he's got some nasty tricks."

"Worse than what he did to the bar?" Throttle asks.

"Much worse. He can transport people, aliens, monsters." She pauses, thinking of the blue-black tubes. "I wonder if he's got a pandimensional ship."

"A what?"

"It travels through time and space, and I suppose dimensions." Carbine says.

Throttle frowns. "You lost me, doll."

"It's sort of a space ship."

"That can go between worlds?"

"Something like that." Carbine says.

They fall silent, no longer really dancing, Throttle stands swaying with his arms around her. Carbine leans back, reaches up to touch his face. He takes her hand, his fingers closing around hers, then lifts it to his mouth and kisses it.

"You should get some sleep." Throttle says. "You can have the bed. I'll sleep out here."

Carbine nods, stepping away reluctantly.

Throttle watches her go into the bedroom and close the door, then sits down on the couch, puffs out a long breath. He lights a cigarette and watches the smoke as it curls near the ceiling.

Carbine half expects to wake up back in the motel room, but she's in Throttles bed, the blankets bunched up around her waist. She'd taken off the dress, sleeping in the slip, and now she stands without dressing and walks into the small living room. Throttle is asleep on the couch, his legs poking off one side, head resting on the arm, a worn fedora pulled down over his eyes. She stands, watching him for a moment.

"Help you, doll?" Throttle asks from under the hat.

He lifts it, glances over at her and his eyes widen for a moment before he catches his expression and puts it back in line.

"Do you think we can get Vinnie and Modo on board?" Carbine asks.

"Straight to business. That's what I like about you." Throttle sits up.

"Well?"

"I dunno about where you come from, but we ain't exactly close anymore." Throttle says.

"But you were in the bar with them." Carbine protests.

"Ain't got nowhere else to go." Throttle says.

Carbine looks at him, momentarily pained. "First Diesel, now Vinnie and Modo. Don't you have any friends in this town?"

Throttle laughs bitterly. "Only you, doll."

"Why?"

"I'm bad luck." Throttle says with a humorless smile, then he starts to stand up. "Come on, we should get some breakfast. And you should get dressed."

Carbine nods, goes back into the bedroom and slides the dress on, leaving the door open. Throttle stands in the living room watching her as she leans down, pulling the hose on. He shakes his head and gives another sigh, his face for a moment pulling into an expression of such intense longing it is almost painful, then it flees just as quickly.

"Dames." Throttle mutters.

"What's that?"

"Nothing." Throttle says, then gives another little shake of his head as if clearing it.

...

May sits back, smoking and watching the screen. An eyebrow arches.

"Throttle seems to be exhibiting remarkable self control." Neil says from near to her shoulder.

"More like damage." May says.

"Oh, come now. Not everyone is as...free as you." Neil says, wagging his finger at her.

"Yeah, well they should be. Sex is a bonding act between mammals." May says, waving her near tobaccoless cigarette and leaving a trail of acrid smoke.

"Mm." Neil says noncommittally, reaching for the slender stick. She lets him take it from her fingers. There is silence for a moment, then he speaks, breathing out smoke "So, what are you gonna do now?"

"I'm gonna see how this plays out." May says, taking the cigarette when he offers it back to her.

"You have a plan?"

"Don't I always?" May smiles slyly.

Neil tilts his head. "Just what are you up to?"

May chuckles. "You'll find out."

"You're quite infuriating, my dear." Neil says fondly.

"Yup." May says with a grin.

...

"So, what now?" Carbine asks.

"We wait for your friend to come through for us. Might take awhile. Days, weeks even, to get in there." Throttle says, flipping the newspaper open.

"Days or weeks?" Carbine moves, agitated, the dark liquid sloshing in the cup. "I can't be away that long!"

Throttle shrugs. "You got a better idea, doll?"

"We should go shoot the fish-faced son of a bitch." Carbine growls. "He doesn't have his armada to back him up anymore."

Throttle laughs. "Yeah, they'd fill us full of lead before we even got through the door. You might come back, but when I die it's permanent. Don't you have some way to talk to your...people?"

"Normally. It doesn't seem to be working now."

"The feds, or whatever they are. They said May sent them." he says. "She, ah, she look like this?" he flips open his wallet and shows her a black and white picture. The woman on stage is clearly May, though wearing a dress and singing into a microphone.

"Looks like her." She says.

"Then maybe we should go have a little talk with her." Throttle suggests.

...

"I was wondering when you two were going to show up." May says, sitting down beside them while the band takes a break.

"You know anything about Limburger?" Throttle asks without bothering to say hello.

"Well then. You're right in, aren't you." May says. "Yeah, I heard of him. Plutarkian scumbag tryin to take over this place."

"So, you know what's going on?" Carbine asks.

"Honey, I know everything." May says.

"So, how do we stop him?" Carbine asks.

"You start off by letting Lonnie do her job. She's a damn good spy." May says.

"But I can't be gone forever!" Carbine protests.

"This place don't run on your time." May says. "You'll be back when you left."

"Oh." Carbine says, feeling slightly relieved. "So, what do we do now?"

She shrugs. "Whatever you want. Go home. Go out somewhere. Just watch out, Sofia is out there and she's out for blood."

"Great." Carbine says flatly.

May smiles. "You gotta learn patience. You guys hang around, I'm gonna go sing."

Smoke drifts through the air as she stands on the stage, swaying softly as she sings in a surprisingly clear voice. The band plays behind her.

Carbine sits across from Throttle and watches him as he watches her, his eyes soft. When they turn back to her she feels a pang somewhere deep inside.

She stands up suddenly, offering him her hand. He looks at her, then shrugs and stands up, pulling her out into an open place on the floor and drawing her close to him, guiding her to the music.

"You're different, here." Carbine says, then adds "I suppose I'm different, too."

He smiles for the first time, his face lighting up for a moment, then it is gone. "You seem perfect to me, doll."

May has been watching them from the stage, and she turns to speak to the band which breaks into a slow song. As she starts to sing again Throttle draws Carbine near to him.

"Strangers in the night exchanging glances  
Wond'ring in the night what were the chances  
We'd be sharing love before the night was through."

He tightens his arms around her, pulling her close. Carbine rests her head on his shoulder. From the stage, May smiles around the lyrics.

"Love was just a glance away, a warm embracing dance away..."

"You want to get out of here?" Throttle asks near her ear.

Carbine nods.

...

"So, your world, you said you live in space." Throttle says later, back at his office.

"Now. We used to live on Mars." Carbine says.

"But not anymore?"

"Well, there was a war." Carbine says. "I used to be a soldier, a long time ago. The Plutarkians came in, bought it out. By the time we fought back it was to late. But it's better, now. Recovered."

Throttle tilts his head to the side. "And now you're a bounty hunter?"

"I suppose so." Carbine says.

Throttle nods his head.

"What about here?"

He laughs. "You were a spy, back in the war."

"And you?"

"Just a soldier. Until I got discharged. Medical." He motions toward his eyes.

Carbine nods. "In our world, they were replaced by a mad doctor."

Throttle arches his eyebrows. "I don't suppose I can see right?"

"Not without glasses." Carbine says.

Throttle nods. "Because it's the same."

"Vinnie and Modo, they're different. Were they in the war with you?"

Throttle shakes his head. "Met them after I got back."

Carbine sits back. "Of course. You were the one who helped start the rebelion."

"Rebellion?"

"The government was going along with it." Carbine says. "Letting them buy up the land and ship it off. We were...most of us were blind. Except for you, and a few others."

Throttle chuckles. "So, what, I'm some great leader in your world?"

Carbine nods. "Something like that. You're a hero. A genuine one."

Throttle sighs. "Must be nice."

"You can talk anybody into anything." Carbine goes on.

Throttle smiles at her, though this time without humor.

The office door shudders, then is blown open. A group of goons stands on the other side, but they definitely aren't from this world. They are big and broad, and Carbine can see mechanics protruding from under pinstripe suits.

The biggest goon lifts his arm, the hand rotating and morphing with mechanical grace into a machine gun.

Carbine draws her gun, firing as she runs for cover.

"Through the back!" Throttle shouts, shoving her toward a window.

He pulls it open and they step onto the fire escape, skidding down onto the damp street below.

"This way." They duck down the alley, come out into a street where he takes a turn and leads her down a second, narrower passage between buildings.

They stop, leaning against the brick, as he catches his breath. "What were those things?"

"Some of Limburgers hired hands." Carbine says. "These weapons aren't going to do any damage. We've got to get something more powerful."

Throttle frowns, then says "I think I might have an idea. Come on."

As they walk the buildings get more and more run down, trash is piled on the street. They stop in front of an old building with a neon sign above the door "Lillys House for Working Girls."

Carbine smiles. "I know her."

"Miz Lilly?"

"She's with us. She's our medic."

"She used to be a nurse in the war." Throttle says. "How we met."

The girl who greets them in the entryway gives them a dark look, then turns and hurries into the back. A few minutes later she returns with Miz Lilly.

"Well, well." Miz Lilly looks Throttle over. "Fancy seeing you here again."

Throttle lights a cigarette, nods his head at her. "Lilly."

"And you, I heard you were dead." Lilly turns to look at Carbine.

"I was." Carbine says.

"How thrilling." Miz Lilly says.

"You two are marked for death." The girl says suddenly.

"Serena. Hush." Miz Lilly waves at her. "You can go, I'm fine on my own."

Serena gives them another dark look before retreating behind a curtain into a hallway.

"You'll have to forgive her rudeness." Miz Lilly says. "She's a troubled girl."

"She's right." Throttle says.

"Well, we'll just see about that. So, I take it this isn't a social visit, then." Miz Lilly says.

"Unfortunately not."

"Is it true that you're going up against the mob?"

"Limburger, yeah."

"He's powerful, you know."

"I know."

"And he has resources that are beyond anything you've experienced."

Throttle frowns at her. "I'm starting to get the feeling this is one big conspiracy. Seems like you all know more than you're letting on."

"You should stay here. It's safer." Miz Lilly says. "I've got an empty room."

Throttle sits on the bed, leaning forward. Carbine steps forward, resting her hands on his shoulders and pulling him into her body.

"You're going to leave when all this is over." Throttle says.

Carbine closes her eyes, nodding.

He wraps his arms around her. They are still for a very long time. Then Carbine drops down to sit on her heels, looking up into his face.

"I'm not him." Throttle says softly.

"And I'm not her." She leans up and kisses him.

He almost pulls back, then tilts his head and moves into her.

…..

"Hmm." May says with a smile, the black and white image flickering on the screen.

"I think I may see what you're getting at here. That's a nasty trick." Neil says.

"Oh, come on. Sympathy for the devil." May says.

"Sometimes I think you're rather evil." Neil says, arching an eyebrow.

"Sometimes I _am_ rather evil." May says.

….

A knock at the door pulls Throttle away. "Come in."

Miz Lilly walks in, wiping her eyes. She sniffs, offers him a late edition newspaper. Under the headline is a picture of a woman sprawled in a pool of dark blood.

"Lonnie." Carbine says weakly.

"Just what have you gotten into?" Miz Lilly asks.

"I don't know." Throttle says.

"This is getting serious." Carbine says.

There is a sound from downstairs, the heavy crack of a door breaking, then someone screams. They run downstairs to find the mechanical goons standing in the entryway, eyes glowing under small dark bowler hats.

"Come wit us." One of them says, pointing a beefy hand at Throttle and Carbine.

Throttle crushes out his cigarette. "Nothin doin."

The goon fires. Throttle falls.

Carbine drops to her knees, pressing her hands over the dark blossom opening on his chest. "Hang on."

"It's no good, doll. It's over." Throttle says.

"No." Carbine pleads. She tilts her head up, begging. "No, please!"

"Shut it down!" The voice comes from everywhere and nowhere.

May steps through a door, standing before them, looking down. Carbine looks around, everything including Throttle has frozen.

"Help him!" Carbine says.

"Why?" May asks.

"What?" Carbine says.

"Why should I save him?" May asks.

"Well, because..." Carbine hesitates.

"What am I supposed to do with him?" May asks. "He ain't part of our world, honey."

"But there has to be something, your technology-"

"And do what with him? He ain't trained, can't use him on one of my ships."

"He can come back with-"

"No, honey, you don't want that. Trust me on that one." May says.

"There has to be somewhere you can put him!" Carbine protests.

"It's his time, honey." May says.

"No, I won't accept that." Carbine says. A thought occurs and she reaches up for her hat.

"Don't do it." May says. "You give that up, you die. And he doesn't want that. Either of him."

"But-" Carbine stumbles to her feet, reaches out plaintively. "You can't just let him die. Please!"

"Give me a good reason." May says.

Carbine closes her eyes, her mind racing. Finally, desperately, she says the only thing she can. "Because I love him."

"Mm." May nods. "There we go. Come on, help me get him up."

"Where are we going?"

"To save his life." May leans down, grabbing him by an arm.

Throttle gasps as time shudders, stutters into movement again. May and Carbine lift him and drag him through the door.

"What-" Throttle manages weakly.

"Hang in there." May says.

They come to a wide opening with a pool in the center. A huge creature, elephantine, with a long underslung jaw and two sickle-shaped limbs protruding from it's upper back, steps forward. It's underbelly is a mass of tentacles which it reaches out with, questing, finding Throttle they wrap him up and pull him in.

"He'll be OK?" Carbine asks.

May shrugs. "We'll see."

"What do I tell the guys?" Carbine asks.

"As much or as little as you want." May says.

"What are you going to do with him?"

"I have a plan."

"Will I ever see him again?"

"Probably." May says, a smile touching her face.

Carbine steps back, looking at her, for a moment feeling that she's not looking at a human at all, that this person is some sort of ethereal being brought to this world for her own amusement. Then she lights a cigarette, and it is gone.

"Door is that way." May motions.

Carbine starts to step through, then pauses. "What's going to happen to Lilly and the girls? And that world, for that matter?"

May shrugs. "It'll work itself out. Feds are on him."

"Then why did you send me?"

"What makes you think I sent you?"

"Oh, come on, you do everything." She says. "I know Black and White are working for you."

"Black and White work for the highest bidder." May says. "Go home, get some sleep. Forget about all this. Forget about him."

Carbine turns, steps into the now familiar hall of Elsie. The ship has a stillness, eerie as a sleeping house. She looks down at herself, at the blood spread on her clothes.

Standing in the shower, she leans against the wall and lets the hot water run over her shoulders. Her chest shudders, heaves, as she cries silently.

Carbine stops, presses the release and opens the door into Throttles quarters. He is asleep, his face turned away from her. She walks in, sits down on the edge of the bed. Throttle shifts, opens his eyes, looking at her in the darkness.

"I love you." Carbine says.

"I love you, too." Throttle says sleepily. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, I...I had a bad dream." Carbine slides into the bed beside him.

"Mm." Throttle wraps an arm around her, pulling her close as he slips back into sleep.

The ship moves gently in the darkness, long tendrils extending, catching, pulling, drawing it along through the space between space.

…

"You naughty, naughty girl." Neil shakes a finger at her.

May laughs.

"Did you plan this all along?"

"Of course." May grins at him.

"You really think this is going to work?"

"I know it's going to work." May says. "I saw him."

Neil gives her an appraising look. "You really are the most devious woman I've ever met."

"Thank you." May says.

The Daye adjusts her course, turning gracefully in the void. Her long tendrils touch space and time, feel for a point, lock on. They slide easily through nothing.

...  
Dark cars surround Limburger Tower. There is a rumble from somewhere inside, then it begins to shake, shudders, and vanishes with a pop into the dark air. Amarillo steps out of the car, frowns.

His yellow hat sits on the seat of the car, glowing against the leather.


End file.
